Cupcake Chronicles Side Stories
by milesprower06
Summary: The Cupcake Chronicles Side Stories continues to build on the alternate ending saga to Cupcakes. Author's Note: 'Cupcake Chronicles' is a series of stories: A Precious Rainbow, The Cupcake Killer, Apple of Her Eye, Confessions of Love, Investigations of a Nightmare, Journal of the Cupcake Killer, and Rainbow After The Storm.
1. Rich Yet Poor

A/N: To my readers on , this is the second chapter of my new series, 'Cupcake Chronicles Side Stories'. The first chapter contained content deemed unacceptable by 's Submission Guidelines. If you wish to read this content, and any future content unable to be posted here, please see my DeviantArt or FimFiction pages. Thank you!

Rich Yet Poor

A Cupcake Chronicles Side Story

by milesprower06

The late morning sun shone over the hills and meadows of central Equestria, the wind gently breezed through the grass and trees, creating a serene atmosphere. Birds sang songs composed of various whistles and chirps.

For Stinkin' Rich, this was proving to be quite the change in his usual routine. The young farmhand normally worked his days away up on a farm dozens of miles away, where he had lived for most of his life. It was hard, satisfying work, but he had always felt that he was destined for something more. He had been saving up all the bits he could for years. He enjoyed work on the farm because he enjoyed getting ponies the things they needed in everyday life. But if he had his way, he'd be more along the lines of supplying, not harvesting. He would rather have a more direct way of interacting with the ponies that the crops would be feeding. That's partly why he had taken his weekend to travel down here; to mingle with others that were making even longer journeys to try some exotic food. Nothing like it had been found in Equestria before.

Needless to say, Rich was looking forward to the ambitious railroad project finally being completed, so travel between the spread-out towns would be easier, rather than taking this week-long journey here. But if Equestrians from all corners of the nation were making treks longer than he was...this must be some treat he was in for. He was excited at first when the path became a little more crowded, and then forming into a line. He figured he had finally arrived. What followed was over three hours of standing in line, and going over four more hills. When he finally saw the top of a barn over the next hill, it was high noon, and his straw hat was the only thing keeping him from baking in the sun. The next 45 minutes were spent moving over the next hill, to where Stinkin' finally saw what was being sold. It was apparently a rainbow in a jar. He had every intention of inquiring further when he got to the vendor stand, which finally came at one o'clock.

"Well, howdy-do, there, stranger! Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres. Name's Granny Smith!"

Stinkin' initially stumbled in his introduction, honestly humored by the name of the white-haired farm girl currently attending the stand, giving a soft chuckle.

"Howdy yourself, ma'am. Quite a name you got there."

"Yep, Ma and Pa had a sense of humor, I suppose. But I'm proud to have the namesake of one of the most popular apples, not to mention of the easier to grow. Besides, it'll become more appropriate with age." Granny Smith said with a snicker of her own, clearly having encounters like this before.

"So what do you have here that's attracting these enormous crowds?" he asked. Somewhat surprised that he didn't hear anything while standing in line, Granny Smith ducked under the stand and came back up with a jar with the rainbow substance in it.

"Behold, our original Zap Apple Jam. Compliments of the Everfree Forest."

Well that certainly explained it. The Everfree Forest was infamous for it's dangers, and it's self-sustaining life. Manticores, dragons, and timber wolves were only some of the local residents. The only connection it had with the rest of Equestria was the ancient castle, from which Celestia and Luna ruled before Canterlot was built. It was also the location of the duel between the two Royal Sisters, where Luna was defeated after refusing to end the night, and was imprisoned in the moon. That had been well over 900 years ago. To this day, the moon had the unicorn silhouette on it, though by now it had become more of a myth than actual history.

Rich dug out the asking price of 10 bits for the jar, and immediately unscrewed the lid upon walking away from the stand. Even before getting to taste it, he relished the sweet scent it produced. He dipped the tip of a hoof into it, and gave it a lick. His taste buds were immediately perplexed by this new, exotic spread.

Not too far away from the main gate to the Acres, Stinkin' noticed another stand, operated by a simple farm worker like himself. Upon reading the sign, this was a baker, selling two slices of bread for a bit. Quite the capitalist, to have thought of such a thing. He stood in the, thankfully much shorter line, and was at the stand within a matter of minutes.

"Well good day to you, traveler! Name's Sponge Cake. The Apples have graciously given me use of their oven to make toast for this amazing jam they're selling. I've been thinking long and hard about opening a bakery. Based on the compliments I've gotten on my bread, why I think I might pursue that."

Sliding two bits to Sponge, Rich was eager to talk up another new friendly face.

"Goin' into business for yourself is never easy. Sure you're up to taking the risk?"

"Well, I figure, why not? The Apples risked a mighty lot by coming to settle here. Once this jam is gone, what have they got for the rest of the year? Baking has always been a passion of mine, and judging from your clothes, I'd say we have two very similar professions. Workin' our days away on new farmland, eh?"

Stinkin' Rich nodded.

"It's good money, but I aspire to be something more. Like you, I've always wanted to own my own business. But I'm more along the lines of logistics, supply and demand, that sort of thing."

"Well, how'd you feel about putting stakes down here?" Sponge Cake suggested.

Rich was caught off guard by this suggestion.

"Well, I had planned on spending a few days in the area, but...really? Moving here?"

"Think about it. You want to run a store, from the sound of it. We've all really been taking in the beauty of this region. A few of us have been talking about staying and starting a life out here together. Begin a new community and all. I sure can't think of a better opportunity to start a business of your own."

The possibilities began running through Stinkin's mind.

"I can see your point. I can't think of a better opportunity, but...what can I sell first? I know I'll eventually set up orders with all the farms around here, but I don't have enough money to build up a store just yet. I think maybe I could afford a stand like yours here for now."

"Well, I'll give you a helping hint. This jam? It's made from apples that grow on magical trees. If they aren't picked fast enough, they vanish. At least that's what Granny Smith told me. So if they made as much as they possibly could, they're probably gonna have some surplus. You could buy what they have left, and sell it. You can absolutely justify a bit of a higher price if it's not in season."

Rich gave this young entrepreneur a smile.

"Thanks, friend. That's really something to think about."

Taking his jar of jam and toast, Rich found a spot on the grass not too far away, and spread a generous amount of zap apple jam onto one piece and took a bite.

Needless to say, he was done thinking.

SEVENTY YEARS LATER

Filthy Rich could not remember the last time he departed from work early. But this afternoon, he had an excuse. The business tycoon spent most of his life getting Barnyard Bargains to where it was today. Unfortunately, it had cost him his marriage, but he had moved on. 'Every success story has a price' he told himself. But just an hour ago, he found out that his focus on his business had also hampered the upbringing of his daughter, which the message he received from Ms. Cheerilee proved. He had told Mrs Cheerilee to let Diamond Tiara walk home after detention, and he had spent the next thirty minutes wondering how he was going to approach this.

He walked slowly past town hall, as he closed in on his home, one of the largest cottages in Ponyville, which was set within the center circle of homes surrounding town hall. His trot was slow as he began to cross the street. He was determined to set his daughter straight, but he was unsure of how to go about that at the moment. But he had never backed away from an uncertainty, and he was not going to start now. Any hesitation would've proved that he wasn't prepared to nip this situation in the bud.

He put a hoof on the door, pushed it open, and stepped inside his home. He set his suitcase at the door, and walked from the foyer to the living area, where Diamond Tiara was on the couch, reading a magazine. Either she knew it wasn't going to do much good hiding in her room, or she wasn't expecting him home early.

"H-hey Dad. How was work?" she asked, her tone suggesting that it was the latter. Reading her father's stern expression, she immediately knew what brought him home early.

"Well? Anything to say for yourself?" he asked her, the disappointment and anger apparent in his voice. When she didn't answer after nearly ten seconds, he decided to carry on.

"What, do you think that just because you're rich and wealthy, you can say whatever you want with no repercussions? There is a difference between riches and wealth, Diamond Tiara, and you have neither. I have the wealth, and I earned every cent of it. Being my daughter entitles you to nothing. You have taken the privileges I've given you for granted, so that's going to change. The hooficures and mane appointments are gone. Starting now, you're going to eat meals that only a pony on minimum wage can afford, and you'll do chores every day to earn them."

"Dad, that's not fair!" Tiara protested, as her free ride came screeching to a halt.

"As long as you live under my roof and eat my food, I will decide what is and is not fair. Do I make myself clear?"

"Dad, you're actually defending what they do with-"

"AM I?!" Filthy asked rhetorically, screaming so loudly at his filly that it made her flinch, cutting her off mid-sentence. Diamond Tiara gasped at her father's sudden loss in temper, afraid that he was going to lash out and hit her.

"Yes. I am! Because it is not my place to judge anypony else, and I don't know what in CELESTIA'S NAME makes you think it is yours! How DARE you! You truly have NO comprehension of how PISSED I am that you brought shame on this family because YOU think it's okay to make comments like that. Did you even THINK before opening your mouth? That those dozens of ponies picketing the front of the Feed 'n' Seed are angry at those exact types of comments? I'd say your damned lucky that Scootaloo held Applebloom back, because if not, you'd probably have a black eye and some missing teeth, and that's exactly what you deserve."

Filthy Rish paced the living room a few times while Diamond Tiara fought back tears. He had never spoken that way to her in her life.

"Go to your room." he said flatly.

"But...what about dinner?"

Filthy had to do a quick mental double take at what he just heard.

"You don't get it. You are not the least bit sorry for what you said today. You're lucky to have a roof to sleep under tonight. Now GO!"

Diamond Tiara got up and left the room, finally breaking down. Filthy heard her run up the stairs and slam her bedroom door. The hurt and confusion from his daughter's actions today caused him to sit in silence for nearly 10 minutes before walking outside into the late afternoon. There was another pony he had to see.

He was about to set out for the west side of town towards the Acres, but his impeccable timing brought Applejack across his path in the center of town square as she was heading home from the schoolhouse.

"Applejack!" he called out, trotting over to the farm pony.

"Evening, Filthy."

"Applejack...I'm so sorry for the way Diamond Tiara acted in school today. There's no excuse."

"Well now, Filthy, we can't watch over our kids every second of every day."

"I'm just...really concerned that what she said today is gonna blow up in my face just like it did with Marty today."

Applejack put an empathetic hoof on the business tycoon's shoulder.

"Ah don't think it'll come to that, Filthy. Marty blatantly exposed us and opposes what Rainbow and I have, not to mention making even more of a scene of it after Rainbow broke his window. Diamond Tiara just made a comment and caused a scuffle. It's not as serious as what Marty did. Besides, and no offense, but it's not exactly a secret that she can be an opinionated brat."

Filthy nodded. "Well, I guess that settles it...I've focused too much on my business and not enough on raising my daughter. She's...she's not even sorry for what she said."

"Filthy, she's just a filly."

"I don't care how old she is; she shouldn't be judging others like that, and there has to be consequences, especially for something like this. After I finally hit the big time with the family business in Ponyville, I could've packed up and moved to Canterlot. I know I could've made it there. But I stayed because I'm proud of the heritage I have in Ponyville. Thanks to Granny Smith and her Zap Apple Jam, my great grandfather found his pot of gold. Then, to find out that my daughter denounced you and your family like she did today...you'd better believe I'm gonna do my best to set her straight...I'm just trying to figure out the best way to go about it. I doubt it's gonna be as simple as disciplining an employee. I can't exactly cut her hours back, ya know? Applejack...you help run a farm, and you've also taken up the responsibility of being Applebloom's surrogate mother. So...I guess I'm asking for help. What do I do?"

"Well, what have ya done so far?"

"Sent her to her room without dinner, put a stop to her hooficures and mane treatments, and given her chores to be done daily to earn her meals, which aren't gonna be above what somepony on minimum wage can afford."

Applejack had to admit, she was a bit impressed. "Well, Filthy, it's a good start, but like you said, she's not sorry. The punishment has to fit the crime, yes, but then how is she going to learn from her mistakes?"

"What are you suggesting?"

"Doing household chores might get the job done, but how about some farm labor? It's a good, honest day's work. We're always looking for extra help around the farm, and it may get her some respect for more rustic lifestyles."

Filthy Rich thought over this for a moment.

"When would you like us?"

"Us?"

"This is as much my fault as it is hers. I've spent half my life going over checklists and balancing budgets. It's been so long since I've had a good hard day of physical labor. I think it would help her along if I shared in the punishment. She got like this from lack of parenting and hanging out with the wrong ponies. I might as well change that starting now. Not to mention, it'll be an excellent way of honoring where my family came from."

Applejack smiled.

"Since you put it that way, crack of dawn around six should be good." she said.

"We'll be there." Filthy said with a smile, and a polite nod. He watched Applejack trot off into the setting sun, then made his way home. He paused by the Feed 'n' Seed, as the protestors finally started to disperse for the night, staring at the scene with worry. Trying to find solace in what AJ told him, he did his best to reassure himself that it wouldn't come to this.

Making his way home, he came in quietly, and found his daughter's bedroom door still closed, with light escaping from the bottom into the darkened hallway. He returned downstairs and made himself a simple daisy sandwich for dinner. Afterward, he had to double take when he almost set his suit out for tomorrow. Knowing that he'd need plenty of rest for tomorrow, he set his alarm for 5AM, and climbed into bed.

He was nearly asleep when he felt the bed vibrate. Just as the possibilities were starting to register, the entire bedroom shook violently with a bang as the shaking increased tenfold. Filthy jumped out of bed, fully alarmed, but unsure what to do. His clarity and priorities snapped back into place when he heard his daughter scream from upstairs.

"Diamond Tiara?" he yelled as he stumbled out of his room, various picture frames and shelved items crashing to the floor.

"Daddy?" she called back from the stairs. He motioned for her to come down the stairs. Losing her balance a bit, she leaned against the railing, and made her way down to her father. Doing his best to shield his daughter from falling debris as they ran for the kitchen, and took cover underneath the dining table.

The freak earthquake lasted another 10 minutes. When the shaking finally came to a halt, the two ponies under the table didn't move for nearly half a minute, wanting to make sure it was over. Filthy's front legs were wrapped securely around his quivering daughter, who had become quite frightened by the ordeal.

"Are you okay?" he asked, releasing her from his grasp. She nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks. He hugged her one more time, then they crawled out from under the table, and surveyed the damage. First looking around the kitchen, there seemed to be nothing more than a few broken dishes. The two of them headed outside, and Filthy was relieved to not see any structural damage to his home. He took in the scene around him. Dozens of confused ponies were headed in all directions, either to get help or offer it. Some structures didn't fare as well as his. Town Hall had several splintered supports, but fortunately, didn't look like it was in any immediate danger of falling.

"Dad, how can we help?" Diamond Tiara asked. Filthy looked down at his filly, a bit surprised at her. She had also been looking at the mild chaos around the area. He snapped out of his shock.

"Come on, this way." he told her, and they headed to the marketplace. Several owners were here checking to assess any damage to their businesses. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any apparent damage to Barnyard Bargains as Filthy unlocked the door. He quickly headed down the bedding aisle and came back with a pull cart full of blankets.

"Here. You take half, I'll take half. Give them out to anyone who's stuck out in this cold night air. Free of charge." Filthy instructed, draping a dozen fleece blankets over her back.. Diamond Tiara nodded, and headed off towards the east side of town while her father took the west. As he began handing out blankets to ponies too wary to go back into their homes, he noticed Marty come out of the Feed 'n' Seed with bottles of water, handing them out to citizens helping each other through this crisis.

It was at this moment where he felt all his concerns and worries melt away. This was what made him so proud to be a part of this town, and for his family to have roots in the history of it. Marty had done wrong, but he was doing his part in the town's time of need. Filthy hoped he would get out of this crisis a redeemed stallion.

As immediate recovery efforts got underway, it would seem that the excitement was not over. While Filthy wasn't present in the area, he heard that there was a 'confrontation' of sorts near Sugarcube Corner and the memorial fountain, which he heard had been completely decimated in the quake. Reports were mixed, and it seems that every eyewitness had a different story, probably because of how quickly everything happened. Something...supernatural had occurred. Some ponies claimed they saw Pinkie Pie, the Cupcake Killer, who was pronounced dead at the scene of her crimes weeks ago. Twilight's assistant dragon burned a book in the remains of the fountain, and after that, those present claimed that pony spirits rose up from the rubble for just a few moments and then vanished. Shortly after, Rainbow Dash was taken to Ponyville Urgent Care. Deciding that they had quite enough of an adventure for one night, Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara retired back to their home to finally get some rest.

Filthy's plans with Applejack were clearly postponed while cleanup efforts began. Good thing, too. In his anger, he didn't make sure there would be managers to cover for him whenever he was at Sweet Apple Acres. Now he could make such plans. The longest part of this task would be the building inspections, to make sure every structure in Ponyville was safe to inhabit. In anticipation, Filthy went to Barnyard Bargains, and marked all lumber 50% off. Customers coming in to take advantage of the sale were constantly talking about the events of last night, and how Rainbow Dash had miraculously gotten her wings back from the supernatural occurrence.

It was another three weeks before Filthy had heard anything from the Apple Family again. He was having his morning coffee, just getting Diamond Tiara her breakfast, when there was a knock at the door. Going to answer it, he was greeted by the muscle of the Acres, Big Macintosh.

"Howdy there, Mr. Rich. I'm just headed into the square with the cart to start sellin' today, and mah sister wanted me to stop by and ask if your arrangement with her was still on, and was wondering if she could alter it a bit."

"Absolutely, please explain." Filthy replied.

"Apparently, she's gotten an invitation from the Wonderbolts to participate in their next tour of performances with Rainbow Dash. It's six months training and another six months performing around Equestria. She knows it's too much to ask for an entire year of farming, but she wants you to come by whenever you have some free time. We're calling in favors from all over the family to keep things running in her absence."

Filthy smiled. "Thanks for asking me for help, Big Mac. I'll be available as soon as this afternoon."

With a nod, Big Mac headed off for the market square.

When he closed the door and came back into the kitchen to his coffee, it was apparent that Diamond Tiara overheard.

"Farming? My dad is going to work on a farm?" she asked.

"What makes you think it's just going to be me?" Filthy retorted. Diamond Tiara's eyes widened.

"But...but-"

"Did you honestly think I forgot about your little stunt at school? I highly doubt one freak earthquake magically put your priorities in order and taught you to respect those that don't live and think exactly like you." Filthy said with a smirk.

His daughter pouted over her cereal. Filthy sat down to his coffee and paper.

"Look. I know I haven't been the best father in recent years. Your mouth in school is evidence of that. My successful business cost me my relationship with your mother, and I'm not about it to let it cost me my relationship with you. I love you, Diamond Tiara. You're more important to me than any profit margin or expense report. You know that, right?"

Diamond's gaze made it's way from her cereal to her father's sincere eyes.

"Yeah" she replied with a mutter.

"Good. You know, I never really did discuss with you where we came from. So I think I'll take this time over Saturday morning breakfast, to tell you about your great grandfather, Stinkin' Rich..."


	2. Learning To Laugh Again, Part 1

Learning To Laugh Again

A Cupcake Chronicles Side Story Series

by milesprower06

A/N: I dedicate Learning To Laugh Again to the late Ace2401. This series would not be what it is without his contributions. Rest in peace, brony.

Part 1

The young filly's eyes and smile went wider as the ink-covered hoof made it's way down and firmly stamped a hoofprint on the Wonderbolts poster. The fight suit-clad rainbow-maned pony quickly wiped her hoof from the ink and handed the poster to the eager young fan with a wink.

"This is so awesome, thanks a bunch!" the filly exclaimed as she scampered away, her newest treasure rolled neatly into her saddlebag, Rainbow Dash leaned back into her chair and stretched, glad for the brief reprieve now that the line had finally ended, for now, as Wonderbolt fans mingled with one another. There were easily over 50 ponies in the convention hall, and the dozen Wonderbolts who had performed this year were seated at tables that encompassed the hall. Spitfire and Soarin were sitting at the table to the left of the rear center, and Rainbow sat at the one on the right, directly next to theirs.

Applejack sat next to her, in her black 'mystery' suit that she performed in, sans mask. This was the last Wonderbolts Meet and Greet session of the season. Their last performance was here in Las Pegasus two nights ago. After this, there would be a month off before they got together in Cloudsdale and began planning next year's show. It had been close to a year since they had been back in Ponyville, and to Rainbow, it had felt like forever. She had just begun patching things up with her parents before they had left on the nationwide tour. The life of a Wonderbolt was frantic and fast-paced, which is particularly why Rainbow thrived in it. Still, there was no place like home.

Applejack glanced over and saw Rainbow sitting back, stretching her legs. She smirked at her marefriend.

"More than 100 shows, and yer' fans are the ones that wear you out?" she asked. Rainbow smiled back.

"These meet and greets are fun and all, but there's a reason we only do one of these at each destination. It gets exhausting after a couple of hours."

Applejack had to agree there. She also wasn't without her adoring fans, being the very first Earth pony to have a central role in a Wonderbolts performance. Whenever they were at a ground-based location, Applejack was nearly overwhelmed by fans. She was grateful for the attention, especially today, because it kept her mind off of something she had been wanting to tell Rainbow for several weeks now. As always, she wanted to be straightforward and honest about it, but she was trying to figure out away to tell her lightly.

"Listen, Rainbow, I've been meanin' to-"

"Ohmygosh ohmygosh!" came a female voice of another excited fan. Both ponies turned their heads to see their approaching admirer.

She was a pearl white Pegasus with purple eyes, and a rich blonde mane and tail, both wildly poofy. She came hopping up to their table, wings fluttering excitedly. Rainbow noticed the lanyard around her neck, and more importantly the navy blue and gold badge attached to it. That was a VIP badge, and the Wonderbolts only sold a small handful of those to each event, and they certainly cost a beautiful bit. It entitled the purchaser to the best seats in the venue for the performance, as well as free access to all after parties and events. Rainbow sat up, eager to make sure this dedicated fan got her money's worth. Only when the ecstatic fan was mere feet from their table, did Rainbow and AJ both notice, that aside from the color of her coat, mane, and tail, that she was the spitting image of Pinkie.

"I'm so thrilled to finally meet you Rainbow Dash!" the pearl-coated Pegasus greeted.

Wanting to be absolutely sure she wasn't seeing a different-colored double, Applejack stole a glance at the fan's flank, and saw a purple party hat and single balloon for a cutie mark.

"Hey there. What might your name be?" Rainbow asked casually, remembering to bring her professionalism forward and keep the bewilderment in check.

"Oh I'm so sorry. My name's Surprise. I've been a huge fan of yours ever since I read what the Wonderbolts show was gonna be about this year. I think your story of perseverance is simply awe inspiring!"

"Well, that's awesome, glad to hear you've enjoyed it." Rainbow replied, getting out a considerably bigger poster to not only stamp with her hoof, but also sign.

"You're amazing too, Applejack! The first earth pony ever to perform with the Wonderbolts! So I supposed you're supposed to represent her significant other?" Surprise asked.

Applejack blinked, followed by a nervous chuckle. The question had honestly never come up. She assumed that most fans either knew of their relationship, or didn't think much of it. Her suit was meant to promote gender neutrality in the romantic part of the show, but obviously, with Applejack not wearing her mask...

"I _am_ her significant other, sugarcube. That's the main reason I'm performing with the Wonderbolts this year."

Surprise's eyes widened, and then her expression showed that her heart had melted.

"That is sooo romantic!" she exclaimed, met with light blushes and smiles from both Rainbow and Applejack.

"So what about you, hun? Where are you from?" Applejack asked, as Rainbow passed the poster over to her to stamp and sign.

"I'm from up north in Seaddle. But I didn't have enough saved up when you guys performed there. I figure if I missed the Seaddle performance, that I should just save up all the bits I could and come see you guys in style. I finally had enough saved up by the time you got here to Las Pegasus."

"City girl, eh? Your family from up there?" Applejack asked as she wiped her hoof off and got the quill and ink ready.

Surprise's face took on a brief look of sadness, and Rainbow got the feeling that AJ had touched a nerve.

"I...I don't have any family. I lived in the Seaddle Orphanage for as long as I can remember. The doctors said I had underdeveloped primary feathers and a pretty bad case of amnesia. I don't even remember how I got my cutie mark. But I know that I really enjoy making sure everypony has what they need for fantastic parties."

"Sorry to hear about your feathers and amnesia."

"That's alright. You didn't know, and there's no harm in asking!"

"So that's what you do for a living, I'm guessing?" Rainbow asked as Applejack signed her poster.

"Yep! I've worked in a party supply shop ever since I was old enough to work, and I've loved every minute of it. Now that I've got enough saved up, I've left the orphanage, and I'm moving to open my own store."

"That's awesome. Where are ya moving to?"

"To the central valleys, to a cozy little town called Ponyville!"

"Get outta town! I mean, um, not literally, sorry. We're both from Ponyville."

"Sweeterific! How is it like living there?"

"Nice enough town, to be sure. We haven't been there in nearly a year, touring and all. We're quite anxious to get back." Applejack said, finishing up her signature and rolled up the poster, sliding it over to Surprise.

"Well I'm glad you've been enjoying yourself here. Maybe we'll be seeing more of ya." Rainbow said.

"I certainly hope so. See you guys around!"

With that, Surprise took her poster and headed over to Spitfire and Soarin's table, and after that, over to Twilight and Rarity's table. After she got it signed by everypony, she disappeared back into the crowd. After another half hour of greeting fans and signing merchandise, the convention hall was finally closed, allowing the crew to pack up supplies and be on their way. As this was the very last event of this year's season, the Wonderbolts and crew would be going their separate ways from here. Most of the crew already had their bags packed, so all they had to do was go across the street to the hotel and be on their way. It was the same for Rainbow, Applejack, Twilight, and Rarity, as they gathered their luggage up, and took a short carriage ride to the train station for the next train eastbound. It had been a thrilling six months. Rainbow and Applejack loved performing together, Rarity loved the attention her outfits got, not to mention the bits she got from each performance, and Twilight loved mesmerizing each audience with her special effects. It was a Wonderbolts season for the history books, but everypony was still anxious to kick back and relax at home.

By the time everyone had their tickets, boarded the train, and got their luggage stowed, and got comfortable in the bunks, the sun had sunk below the horizon, and everypony was set for a comfortable night train ride to Ponyville. Everyone had their own bunk, save for Rainbow and Applejack, who shared the private car in the rear.

"Hey Rainbow, there's something ah've been meanin' to tell ya" Applejack said, snuggled in close to Rainbow under the covers.

"What's up, AJ? Is...is it about the other night?" Rainbow asked, wondering if AJ had held back some reservations about their first dominance session two nights ago.

"No, no it's not that. I've been thinking about what the Wonderbolts are gonna do next season. Judging from the mail I've got from home over the past year, it hasn't been easy covering for me at the farm. Granny had ta' call in all kinds of favors to make sure everything kept moving, what with Big Mac running the apple carts at all these shows, and with me bein' away. It's just...even if the 'Bolts wanted me to come back for the next season, I'm not sure I'd want to put my family and friends through that hassle again. So I guess what I'm sayin' is..."

"That you don't want to come back next year." Rainbow finished her marefriend's sentence. Applejack's silence was her confirmation.

"It's not a big deal, AJ. I figured this was a one time thing, and that next season the Wonderbolts would return to something more traditional."

Applejack breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks for understandin', sweetheart. Now let's try and get some sleep. We'll be in Ponyville by morning. It'll be great to be home."

Applejack wrapped her legs around Rainbow, and drifted off to sleep. Rainbow stared out the window as the starry desert night loomed overhead. This past year was some of the most fun she had ever had, and she was afraid that this month off was going to go by even quicker. She wanted to enjoy this time off to the fullest extent.

Especially if AJ wasn't going to be there next season...


	3. Learning to Laugh Again, Part 2

Learning To Laugh Again

A Cupcake Chronicles Side Story Series

by milesprower06

Part 2

Rainbow awoke in Applejack's embrace as the train whistle blew, signaling their arrival at their final destination. Applejack, roused as well, got up and made sure they had all their luggage and went to the others who were waiting to get off the train.

"Oh I can't wait to reopen my shop. I hope Opal has been having a good time at Fluttershy's." Rarity commented. Being on tour with the Wonderbolts as costume designer and maintainer netted her a profit considerably higher than what she made at Carousel Boutique. Nevertheless, she was eager to get her business back up and running, and most likely take a trip to the spa as well.

"I'm sure Fluttershy's been doing a terrific job of taking care of Opal, Gummy, and Spike," Twilight reassured, adding "they might not want to leave."

The train doors slid open, and the passengers disembarked, trotting through hissing stream onto the dock. For Rainbow and the others, the haze gave way to a welcoming party.

"WELCOME BACK!" was simultaneously shouted by a half dozen ponies. Standing at the station were friends and family of the group that had left on tour. Big Mac, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Stormcloud, Firefly, Spike, Fluttershy, and the pets she had been watching.

Rainbow rushed forward and embraced her mom and dad, whom she had not seen since departing Cloudsdale after the first performance of their tour. She knew that a month wasn't going to be enough for rebuilding their relationship with each other after it had crumbled four years ago.

"How's my little Wonderbolt doing?" Firefly asked, releasing her daughter from the hug.

"Awesome, it's so great to be back."

"Well we're gonna let all you guys go and unpack, but first, we've got a little surprise for you, Rainbow." Stormcloud told them. On cue, Rarity magically tied a blindfold around Rainbow's head.

With gentle guiding from her father, Rainbow turned and walked down from the station into town. The entire group walked through town for about two minutes. Rainbow, who had no trouble walking blind, tried to figure out where they were taking her. She had lived in town for many years, but as most of her job was up in the sky, she was having a hard time pinpointing where they were. The increasing volume of the hustle and bustle clued her in, as they had to be walking through the marketplace.

Sure enough, they came to a stop 30 seconds later, and the blindfold was lifted from her eyes, and Rainbow's breath was taken away. There in front of her, was a brand new fountain memorial.

When she had left, the destroyed fountain had still not been cleaned up from the freak earthquake. She figured that with all the work that went into it, that it would eventually be replaced...but she never imagined anything like this.

All the rubble had been cleared away, and the fountain had been rebuilt from the ground up. The circumference of the bottom level had been increased by nearly half. The names of the victims had again been expertly chiseled into the side, but now, joining them, on top of the second bowl, were statues of them, about one foot in height. Each of them held an urn, which poured out the familiar rainbow-colored, sparkling water into the bottom level pool. It was more beautiful than before, which was saying something.

Rainbow didn't know what to say. She simply stared at the new fountain with a stunned, open-mouth smile on her face, as she slowly walked around, looking at it from all angles. As she completed one lap around, she gave her mom and dad a hug, as thanks for surprising her like this.

"It was pretty hard to keep it a secret all this time, but we knew it'd be worth it when you saw it for the very first time." Firefly told her daughter.

"I...I just don't know what to say, it's amazing." Rainbow replied.

"Well, we know you're all probably looking forward to your time off. We'll let you go and unpack. Rainbow, when you're settled in, could you meet me at home? There's something I would like to talk to you about, and I have something to give you." Stormcloud said.

"Sure. It shouldn't take that long. I did pack light, after all." Rainbow replied, her curiosity now peaked. Truth be told, Rainbow had packed light. She brought almost nothing personal along with her on tour, just the Wonderbolt hoodie Rarity had made for her, which was folded neatly inside the saddlebags she now wore. Applejack was the same way. Big Mac pulled a medium cart of a few suitcases and a couple barrels of left over apples from selling at all the performances.

"I'm lookin' forward to seeing how the place has kept up without me." Applejack said.

"'Ah don't want t'say that it's like you never left, but..." Big Mac began.

"So don't. Nopony's better at bucking those trees than me."

"Maybe so, but we've managed. It took callin' in plenty of favors, but we managed."

Applejack gave a "hmph" as they continued over the hill that separated the outlying farms from the main area of town. Within a matter of minutes they were through the main gates of Sweet Apple Acres. Big Mac pulled the wagon around to the back door, where he and Apple Bloom began to unload it. Applejack and Rainbow Dash went inside to their bedroom and dropped their saddlebags by the bed. Rainbow seemed a bit anxious as she slid hers off of her back, as it landed on the floor with a soft thud.

"Um, AJ...I don't mean to drop my things and run...but..."

"Rainbow, 'ah can read ya like a book. You've been dyin' to catch up with 'yer mom and dad since we left on tour. So go on, now. Have fun." Applejack told the eager pegasus with a smile. Rainbow gave her marefriend a quick hug, ran down the hallway, and out the front door.

As Rainbow walked down the front path, Applejack made her way through the kitchen to the back of the house to help her brother and sister unload.

"Hey what's in this one? It's got a heart on the side of it." she heard Apple Bloom say, causing her to nearly choke on the sudden lump in her throat as she broke into a sudden gallop and burst out the back door, where her two siblings were unloading the cart.

"Whoa there, sis. That one looks a little heavy for ya, so I'll take it off your hooves." Applejack hastily said, quickly placing the box on her back and trotting quickly into the house.

"But it's not that...heavy?" Apple Bloom said, watching her sister hurry inside with the box.

Around at the other side of the house, Rainbow hadn't even gotten to the front gate when she heard a crackling noise in front of her, and with a bright, unexpected flash, Twilight Sparkle materialized in front of her.

"Gah! Twi, can't you transport in a...gentler manner?" Rainbow asked, undoubtedly startled by Twilight's sudden winking to the farm.

"Sorry. Glad I caught you, looks like you're going somewhere."

"Yeah, up to Cloudsdale to visit with my dad."

"Ah, well I hope you have a good time. I just stopped by to give you this. I got here as quick as I can, because it's urgent."

Twilight's horn glowed, and her saddlebag opened, and a scroll levitated out.

"That's why I came here so fast; a letter from Princess Celestia, to be personally delivered to you immediately." Twilight told her, moving the scroll towards Rainbow, and breaking the royal seal. The scroll unrolled, and Rainbow read silently to herself as Twilight kept the letter afloat in her magical grasp.

_To my most loyal subject Rainbow Dash,_

_It is my sincere hope that you have enjoyed your Wonderbolts tour around Equestria. I know you must be looking forward to your time at home with Applejack and the rest of your friends, but I would also like to ask for some of your time. At your absolute earliest convenience, I would like an audience with you in my throne room in Canterlot. Come whenever you are able. My guards are expecting you._

_Sincerely,_

_Princess Celestia_

"Well, looks like my traveling isn't quite done yet." Rainbow said, as Twilight rolled up the scroll and returned it to her saddlebag.

"What does she want?" Twilight asked.

"To see me as soon as I have the time. Cloudsdale is pretty much halfway there anyway, so I suppose I can swing by after my visit at home."

"Um, Rainbow, you don't 'swing by' for an audience with the Princess." Twilight said, a bit irked at Rainbow's lack of formality.

"Yeah yeah. I'll remember to act all proper and everything, don't worry. After all, I am the loyalest friend of 'her most faithful student', right?" Rainbow said with a snicker. Twilight groaned.

"See ya later, Twi!" Rainbow said as she took off into the sky.

Today was going to be an interesting day, to be sure.


	4. Learning To Laugh Again, Part 3

Learning To Laugh Again

A Cupcake Chronicles Side Story Series

by milesprower06

Part 3

Stormcloud relaxed with the Saturday edition of the High Times, leaning back in his comfy Cobblecloud recliner, made of high-quality cumulus. It had felt good being back in his home for the past year. When they had given up on searching for Rainbow, and Firefly had decided to separate, he had opted to get a small apartment closer to the Weather Factory, and let Firefly stay in their home. After that, he hadn't spoken to his wife in over two years. But fate would have it that he promoted Ponyville's Weather Manager, whom Rainbow had been working under ever since running away. Coming to Firefly with that news had taken a lot off of his shoulders. But it took them several more months to get up the courage to go see her. When they were turned away, Princess Celestia had to advise them to wait a bit longer; that they would eventually know when the time was right to finally reunite.

That time came with Rainbow's Wonderbolts debut eight months ago. The first show of their tour was in Cloudsdale, and Stormcloud and Firefly had gotten front row seats. Having arranged with Princess Celestia to go backstage after the performance, the long-awaited and tearful reunion finally took place. Unfortunately, they didn't have long at all to talk. Rainbow and the Wonderbolts had fans to greet, autographs to sign. They weren't able to go on tour with them, as both he and Firefly had jobs at the Weather Factory. It had been a very hectic year for all of them. Needless to say, he was looking forward to seeing his daughter again and have some true bonding time.

As if on cue, the front doorbell rang. Getting to his hooves, Stormcloud's eyes glanced towards the clock on the wall. Eleven in the morning. Rainbow had always been fast. He set the paper on the coffee table and walked to the foyer. There, he opened the door and was greeted by the smiling face of Rainbow.

"H-hey dad. Told ya I wouldn't be long," Rainbow greeted with a stutter. Stormcloud's silence all but confirmed that they were feeling the same elation. This was the first time she had been home in years. The last time Stormcloud saw her here, she was on the doorstep moments before taking off into the night sky.

Rainbow came forward and they embraced each other.

"Welcome home, sweetheart," Stormcloud replied, squeezing his daughter softly.

"Happy to be home."

They released each other at last, and Stormcloud stepped off to the side to allow his daughter to come in.

"With how quickly you got up here, I'm guessing you didn't have any breakfast. Would you like something to eat?" Stormcloud offered.

"Nah I didn't, but yeah, breakfast would be great. Yesterday was pretty nuts with the Meet n' Greet. I haven't had a decent meal since the show a couple days ago."

"Alright, I'll get some breakfast started. Come and make yourself comfortable."

Following her dad through the house to the kitchen, Rainbow looked at all the pictures on the wall, and took note of how none had been rearranged, or taken down.

"Where's mom?"

"She decided to take a Saturday shift at the factory. She'll be home later tonight." Stormcloud answered, getting out 4 bagels and began to slice them in half, and buttered them. Meanwhile, Rainbow took a seat at the dining room table.

"So, it hasn't changed much around here," Rainbow observed. Stormcloud dropped the sliced buttered bagels into the frying pan, and they responded with a sizzle.

"No, I guess not. After...after you ran off everything just kinda got put on hold."

Stormcloud dropped scalloped potatoes, hay fries, and shredded cheese over the bagels. He then went over to the fridge, got out a pitcher of fresh orange juice, and poured two glasses as the food continued to cook.

A few good smells and minutes later, Rainbow's favorite childhood breakfast was set down in front of her.

"There ya go, kiddo. Dad's famous Cheesy Has n Hay Bagel, just like you remember."

The glass of orange juice joined Rainbow's plate on the table moments later, and Stormcloud sat across from her with his own plate. Rainbow took a bite, and immediately smiled as the nostalgia met her taste buds.

"So I was wondering if you wanted your Building Cloud back. I knew you had it all returned to the factory after...after, well, anyways, I'm ready to have it all shipped back down to Ponyville," Stormcloud offered, as he took his first bite of breakfast.

"Thanks dad. I appreciate the offer, but...I'm enjoying living on the farm with Applejack."

He nodded, understanding her reasoning.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked, taking a gulp of orange juice.

"Well, actually, that is what I wanted to talk to you about; Applejack."

Rainbow stared at her father for a few seconds, and her uncertainty made him unsure of how to proceed.

"What about her?" she asked, not really offering any sort of hint as to what her expectations were regarding the subject of this conversation. Stormcloud sighed softly.

"Hmm, how to go about this..." he mused, but his external thought process was beginning to become misinterpreted by his daughter.

"Dad...are you...not okay with me...me and AJ..."

"No no no, it's not that at all, sweetheart," Stormcloud quickly cleared the air, mentally kicking himself for giving Rainbow that idea.

"Did I ever tell you about my days in the Royal Guard?" he asked. Rainbow shook her head.

"I wasn't aware that you were even in the Guard."

"I don't really talk about it all that much. From the minute those recruiters came to my flight school, I was sure that serving Princess Celestia was what I wanted to do with my life, and for the first six months, it remained that way. Military service goes back as far as my family history is traced. I was very proud to continue that legacy."

"So, what happened?" Rainbow asked, taking a bite of her food.

"Well, then, I met your mother. It was during shore leave, coincidentally the night before I was set to re-enlist for another tour. But there was just something about her...something that began to tell me that I didn't have to live my entire life in the military to fulfill a dream or continue a legacy. Just as my family had been involved in the military, her family had a deep history in the weather. So I figured that if I had lived up to my family's legacy, I could help your mom continue hers. I ended up loving weather as much as she did. From a Cloudsdale weather team member, all the way up to assistant manager at the Weather Factory."

"I thought you were the full manager."

"I got there...after your mom and I split up after you ran away. The only way I could cope for those years was to put my entire soul into my work. I know that was a mistake now. It was my work habits that kept me from being the husband and father I should have been."

"So what does this have to do with me and Applejack?" Rainbow asked.

"During some of our days off, your mother and I went down to help with the work at Sweet Apple Acres. I know that Applejack has told you that she doesn't want to go on tour next year. With Applejack performing, and Big Mac running the apple stand at the Wonderbolt events, their family had to call in a lot of favors to keep things running smoothly, and when they ran out of favors, they had to hire extra hooves, which in turn cut into their profits. I just want you to think very carefully about whether or not you want to stay on for another tour."

"But being a Wonderbolt is my dream!" Rainbow protested.

"I know, I know. Being in the Guard was my dream too. Until the love of my life came along. I can imagine how much you and Applejack care for each other. In my view, love like that deserves better than a long-distance relationship."

Rainbow didn't respond right away. Her dad had a point; she hadn't given much thought to what it would be like on tour without Applejack. She couldn't remember the last time they had been apart for more than a day.

"You don't need to decide now. I just wanted to make sure to bring it up. I don't want you to go out there and miss her for most of the year. If you decide you want to stay, you can have your old job back."

"Just like that?"

"I've already been over it with Thunderlane. He'll gladly give it back to you."

"Thanks, dad. I will think about it."

With that, they had finished their bagels. It wasn't exactly farm fresh food, but Rainbow did appreciate one of her childhood favorites. They put the dishes in the sink, and Stormcloud turned to his daughter.

"Mmm, that was just what I needed before a meeting with the Princess."

"You have a meeting with the Princess?" he asked. Rainbow nodded.

"Twilight delivered a letter to me right before I left to come here.

"Well, I don't want to keep her waiting on you too long, but there's one more thing, Rainbow," he began, walking to the living area, followed by the cyan pegasus. She sat down on the couch, while Stormcloud cleared his throat.

"I've been keeping something, that I think you're ready to have." Stormcloud said, going over to a chest. Opening it, he reached inside, closed it, and came back to the couch with a polished oak hinged box. It was square-shaped, wider than it was tall. He sat down next to his daughter, setting the box on the table with care.

"This has been in the family for a millennium, passed down from generation to generation. Now I'm ready to pass it down to you."

He slowly opened the box, and sitting on red velvet cushioning, was a tarnished silver leg band with a round turquoise gem set in the center.

"What is it?" Rainbow asked, peering at the ancient piece of jewelry.

"This is a royal Night Watch insignia band. It belonged to our ancestor, Orion. He was the captain of Luna's royal guards right before she was banished to the moon."

Rainbow took on a look of perplexity.

"That's our family legacy? We're the descendants of a traitor?"

Stormcloud smiled gently at his daughter's naivety.

"Quite the contrary, Rainbow. The story has been passed down every time this band has. Just hours before the battle, Orion defected to the Solars. He gave Princess Celestia and her troops the information necessary to ensure that minimal losses occurred. He cared about his troops, and he knew that they had nothing to do with what Luna had done. You see, Rainbow...his son was born barely a day after Luna refused to lower the moon. Orion did what he did because he wanted his foal to grow up in peace."

"So what happened?"

"Well, he didn't survive the battle, so there are a few variations of the story. Personally, I like the one where it's said that Nightmare Moon herself had to attack him, and that he died with a smile on his face. Maybe Celestia can tell you more; she was at the battle, and legend says that he convinced her to spare as many lives as she could."

Rainbow leaned forward, and carefully picked up the box to have a closer look. The band indeed looked more than 1,000 years old. No restoration had been performed at all, which, in Rainbow's opinion, added to the sentimental value of it, not to mention the story that went along with it.

"You're sure you want me to have this right now?" she asked. Her dad nodded.

"I think it'll help you put things into the right perspective for this month off. You and Applejack love each other, that's clear to me. We all have to make sacrifices for love sometimes. I did, and Orion did. There are choices in life that aren't the easiest to make. You have to make the decision of what you're willing to sacrifice."

Rainbow very carefully closed the lid of the box.

"Can I keep this here for now? I'll be back for it later, but I just don't want to fly to Canterlot with it."

"Absolutely. Now go and see what the Princess wants. There will be plenty of time for us to catch up later."

Rainbow hugged her dad, and he saw her to the front door, where she went to the doorstep, and took off into the sky.

This time, under infinitely better circumstances.


	5. Learning To Laugh Again, Part 4

Learning To Laugh Again

A Cupcake Chronicles Side Story Series

by milesprower06

Part 4

Rainbow realized that she had not yet had a relaxing time in Canterlot. She had only been here twice: once for the Grand Galloping Gala, which had been nothing like she imagined, and then again four months ago for the stop on their nationwide tour. It was one of their quicker stops with minimal downtime, so she and Applejack didn't have any time to see the attractions, which to be honest, even on a Wonderbolt stunt flier's salary, much of it was too pricey. Now that she was answering a summons from Princess Celestia, she was fairly confident that the third time wasn't going to be the charm.

Still, she was hoping that sometime during this time off, she and AJ could take the train up here and go to one of the nicer restaurants. They had been together for a year now, and they had spent plenty of time together, but being Wonderbolt performers, they had to constantly schedule around their tour. They didn't have any special time together for their birthdays or anniversary because of the performances and meet and greet sessions. Now here she was on the first day of vacation, getting summoned to the castle.

As she flew closer to the single mountaintop breaking through the cloud cover, Rainbow descended through the cool January air towards Canterlot, paying mind to land before entering the restricted airspace around the city. She landed just on the far side of the drawbridge, quickly trotting across into the city. She headed directly for the castle, but also kept an eye out for restaurants she thought she and AJ would like.

Celestia's letter was true to her word. The guards barely glanced at her before letting her through the front gates into the Grand Hall. It had been some time since her first and only visit here, so she had to ask for directions to the throne room. Upon arriving, the unicorn guards used their magic to open the gigantic doors and allowed Rainbow to enter. She walked down the red carpet of the elongated hall to the throne, where Princess Celestia was busy with a parchment with an assistant standing by. Once she saw Rainbow approaching, she rolled up the scroll, levitated it to her assistant, and dismissed her and the two guards at the throne. The pegasus approached the steps and gave a bow.

"Good day, Rainbow Dash. Thank you for coming so soon. How have you been?" Celestia asked.

"Very well Your Highness, thank you. I'm looking forward to spending some time relaxing."

"Seems like a good idea right now, in fact. Have you ever been to the castle courtyard?"

Rainbow shook her head.

"I think once during a class field trip. I don't really remember it."

"Then maybe it's time for a refresher course," Celestia said, smiling.

She walked down from the throne, beckoning Rainbow to follow. It was a short walk out to the courtyard, which was decorated with all manner of flora, flags, and statues.

"So what did you want to discuss with me? Seems kind of...lighthearted to talk about it on a relaxing walk through a garden." Rainbow commented. Celestia gave a light chuckle at the Pegasus.

"That's what I've always liked about you, Rainbow. You're never afraid to speak your mind. No, the task I have for you is really quite important, but I don't believe it would have the same weight if I just told you in correspondence, or brought you up here and just told you to go do it. No, it will be much more meaningful if presented in the proper way."

The pair of ponies turned the south corner of the hedge maze. Here, there were fewer statues, but they were of a slightly higher quality than the decorative ones dotted everywhere else throughout the courtyard. A pair of guards stood at each entrance of this portion of the maze.

"What's special about this place? Those are the first guards I've seen in here." Rainbow inquired as they passed and entered the guarded area.

"Don't jump to conclusions so quickly, Rainbow Dash. This place is not being guarded, it is being respected. This is the Avenue of Fallen Heroes. Each statue here commemorates a pony who gave their life in a time of extraordinary crisis."

Rainbow panned around the Avenue. She counted a total of fourteen statues.

"Only fourteen? What about the founders of Equestria? That part of history class I do remember."

"Yes, the first settlers of this area, the likes of Clover the Clever, Smart Cookie, and Private Pansy...ponies who convinced their leaders to set their hate aside. But they lived long and full lives after their situations passed. I created this garden nearly 1,000 years ago to honor those greatest heroes who did not live to see the fruits of their efforts...and this was the very first one."

Rainbow looked up at the statue that Celestia had stopped in front of. It was a Pegasus stallion, clad in armor. He looked boldly to the horizon, with a hint of concern on his face that the sculptor had captured perfectly. Rainbow's gaze descended to the plaque on the base of the statue.

ORION

"My...ancestor?" Rainbow asked, bewildered. Her dad had never said anything about a statue in the castle courtyard. Celestia nodded, pointing to the rest of the plaque.

Rainbow read the inscription below the name aloud.

"He walked proudly into the darkness so that others could see the light."

"I presided over his funeral service. It seemed like the most appropriate eulogy."

"My dad just gave me the family heirloom; one of his insignia bands."

"The very same band I presented to his wife, who then passed it down to their firstborn son when he was of age. He was born into Nightmare Moon's eternal night. Because of Orion's actions, his son, and all of Equestria, saw daylight again."

"Dad said you might be able to tell me what happened? You know, at the battle?"

Celestia nodded solemnly.

"It was roughly six days time since Luna had usurped the throne and kept the moon high in the sky. In that time, I had traveled throughout Equestria, doing my best to keep order and keep tensions as low as I could, while gathering up all the forces I could to take back the castle. When I returned, I had amassed a force five times greater than Luna's standing forces. I knew how defensible the castle was; I was ready to raze the entire area with bombing runs if that's what it took to get the sun back into the sky."

Celestia looked up into the eyes of the statue.

"But in the last hour before the attack, Orion had left the castle to seek me out. He desired a solution where the fewest lives would be lost. The Night Watch had no more to do with Luna's coup than anypony else, so I took his request to heart. Orion did his best to disorient as many of his troops as he could, keeping them from the fighting. Unfortunately, I was forced to use a single bombing run in the final push."

Rainbow continued studying the statue, putting a single hoof up onto the base.

"How did he die?"

"By Nightmare Moon herself. In keeping his troops at bay with flash and smoke powder, he had gained the attention of his bloodthirsty second-in-command, who was still loyal to Nightmare Moon. After dealing with her, Nightmare had begun to personally participate in the conflict. He took a lance of magical energy through his neck and left wing. In his uncontrollable descent, he crashed through the bridge connecting the forest to the castle."

Rainbow turned and looked up at Celestia, eyes wide.

"You mean..."

Celestia nodded.

"The same bridge you reconnected so that your friends could cross and enter the castle. He was hit just moments before I confronted Nightmare Moon in the throne room. Miraculously, the impact did not kill him. He must have lived long enough to see the moon begin to move again, because when they found his body, there was a clear smile on his face. "

Celestia took a few steps forward, standing next to Rainbow before continuing.

"Luna and I were given our power because of our willingness to accept the burden of ruling an entire nation after overthrowing Discord. In our uprising, we had discovered the Elements of Harmony. Back then they were just stone spheres. Even now, I don't know where they came from. Then, some time later, a unicorn king by the name of Sombra enslaved his entire kingdom, forcing them to harvest the mysterious magical crystals of the arctic north. When news of this reached us in Canterlot, we again had to take a stand, as the Elements were the only magic stronger than the dark magic Sombra was tapping into from the crystals. After all this time, I am not sure how the Elements work. What I do know is they take a lot of energy. When Luna and I stood against Discord and Sombra, we used three each, and each time it was exhausting."

Rainbow knew this to be true. After coming to in the castle after stripping away Luna's dark magic, she definitely felt a bit winded. She recovered quickly, but there was no denying the momentary drain the Element of Loyalty had on her body.

"But when I was forced to use all six Elements against Nightmare Moon, it nearly killed me. I couldn't move for hours, and I had to lay there in the throne room just to gather enough energy to raise the sun the next morning."

Rainbow had a guess as to why she was being told this.

_'I want you to keep my necklace Rainbow. Keep it until you find somepony else who laughs their troubles away.'_

"The Element of Laughter has been entrusted to you for a time, and I would prefer if that time is kept as brief as possible. If Equestria is attacked in a manner in which the Elements are required as a means of defense, I do not want to put you at any more risk than is absolutely necessary. So the task I have for you is this; find a pony that you deem worthy to wield the Element of Laughter. You are an excellent judge of character, Rainbow Dash, and I believe the Element will trust whatever decision you make, if it is pure of heart."

With that, the Princess lowered her head, and knighted the pegasus with her horn.

"I'm supposed to find another pony...just like that?"

"I certainly don't expect it to be 'just like that', but I do want you to keep an eye out. It won't be entirely on you, either. The Elements have power beyond our understanding. I'm sure they'll help you in this search in ways you won't even notice. So don't let it distract you from your time off. They'll let you know when the time has come."

Rainbow looked up again at the statue of her ancestor, the Night Watch Captain who sacrificed everything so the sun would rise. She now understood her dad's pride in their family's military legacy.

"I don't wish to keep you any longer than necessary. Is there anything else?" Celestia asked.

Rainbow pondered for a moment, and nodded.

"Yeah, actually there is."


	6. Learning To Laugh Again, Part 5

Learning To Laugh Again

A Cupcake Chronicles Side Story Series

by milesprower06

Part 5

Regardless of the fact that she was on vacation, Applejack simply couldn't resist the temptation. She missed farm chores terribly. She even learned from Apple Bloom that Filthy Rich had actually brought Diamond Tiara along for several days of helping out.

"And how did that go?" she had asked her younger sister.

"A lot better than I thought it would." Apple Bloom told her.

So feeling the farm labor itch that she had gotten from being home, she took some baskets out to the north fields and harvested some of the remaining berries. The Ponyville region was due for a late winter, so she only had a couple more days before the snowfall began.

Since the temperatures were in the low 50's, Applejack was able to work a lot faster because she wouldn't be getting overheated. By the time she had come back to the house and gotten a bite to eat, everypony else was already in their rooms. When she walked down the hall to her room that she now shared with Rainbow, she found the Pegasus had returned while she was out working. She was laying on the bed, reading a book. She dropped her saddlebags and made a quick stop to the closet before coming over to the bed to see what Rainbow was preoccupied with.

"The Battle of Eternal Night: A Historical Chronicle" Applejack read the title aloud, finally getting Rainbow's attention out of the book. "Where'd you get that? Never took you for a reader."

"After I finished meeting with the Princess, I got permission to make a quick stop in the Canterlot Archives. It's about the battle between Celestia and Nightmare Moon 1,000 years ago. My dad got the family heirloom today, an insignia band of my ancestor. Celestia told me he played a pivotal role in this battle."

"Ah, so I suppose that's what you've got in that little chest there," Applejack motioned towards the oak box on the floor next to the night stand. "So what'd the Princess want?"

"She...had a task for me to focus on...but not focus too much on that I forget to relax during my time off...it was rather confusing."

"Uh-huh, so...one of those 'it'll happen at the right time' deals?"

"Something like that, yeah."

"Couldn't she have said that to you in the letter?"

"Well, if she did that, then I wouldn't have gotten the lesson in family history. Besides, I'm glad she brought me up there to tell me. Any other way...and I don't think I would've liked it. I still don't think I like it yet..." Rainbow said, closing the book and setting it on the night stand.

"Well, why don't we snuggle up, and you can tell me all about it." Applejack said, climbing into bed next to her marefriend.

"Well, when I first got there, I- hey what the-?"

In the span of three seconds, Rainbow found herself forcibly rolled onto her back, pinned, and had a red rubber ball gag forced between her jaws.

"On second thought, you talk too much." Applejack said, her tone and demeanor instantly becoming much more aggressive and authoritative. As she fastened the strap around the back of her head, Rainbow instantly knew it was time to play. Rainbow mumbled incomprehensibly through the gag as Applejack quickly and expertly bound her front legs together with rope.

"You hush up." Applejack sternly told her, rolling her over on her stomach. She gave her a quick barehoof smack on the flank.

"Present, my pet. It's time for a test."

Rainbow did as she was told. Keeping her front bound legs tucked underneath her chest, she raised her flank up by bringing her back legs to a standing position, flicking her tail with anticipation.

"Tonight will be a test of endurance. As your mistress it is my place to train you. My first requirement of my pet is self control, something I remember you lacking during our first session. So you're going to improve." AJ instructed, gliding the tip of her hoof up Rainbow's slit, eliciting a muffled moan from the Pegasus, bringing her wings to attention.

"It's so cute how you quiver at my touch, sugarcube. It's perfectly okay to love and enjoy your mistress pleasuring you, but it's not okay to orgasm without my expressed my expressed permission. If you want to cum, you have to earn it. Doing so without my permission will have consequences, understood?"

Rainbow nodded. As she felt Applejack sit down, tucking herself between her legs, wrapping her front legs around her flanks, she shuddered as she felt her hot breath on her swelling marehood, having a good idea of what was coming next.

She felt the farmer's tongue prod her flower, starting at the bottom, drawing up to the top. Rainbow whimpered through the gag as Applejack took her time in tasting her, not going deep enough fast enough. But she remembered her punishment in Las Pegasus when she tried to preempt her mistress, so she tried her best to relieve her tension through her whimpers.

_'You belong to your mistress.'_ she told herself, immersing herself as deep as she could in her submissive mindset. Another whimper escaped from around the gag, as AJ licked up her slit again, not going any noticeably deeper, and teasingly avoiding the clit.

"Mmmm, my pet tastes good tonight." Applejack said softly, after withdrawing her tongue. She sensually rubbed Rainbow's cutie marks within her grasp, kissing her inner thighs. "This is a treat best enjoyed slowly." she added, putting another soft kiss directly on her clit, adding more fuel to the fire in Rainbow's stomach. That last kiss made Rainbow squirm, but she did not her legs, nor did she grind her hips into Applejack's light caresses and kisses.

Being ordered not to cum when being teased so slowly by somepony you loved so deeply was a tall order, but it was not as tall as Rainbow was being led to believe. Between their night at the hotel in Las Pegasus, and right here in her bed, Applejack had discovered one of her newest and biggest turn-ons.

Making Rainbow squirm.

It wasn't just that, either. It was the sounds too. Unable to speak with a dildo or gag in her mouth, the only way she could make her pleasure known was through muffled whines and whimpers. Knowing it was her own touch and tongue that prompted those sounds...she liked that.

Impressed with how Rainbow was enduring so far, AJ decided it was time for a curve ball. She wrapped her lips around Rainbow's clit and gave a short vigorous suck with a flick of the tongue.

That turned out to be a mistake. Rainbow jolted, her wings fluttering as she squealed into her gag, and Applejack got a hint of the undeniable taste of climax.

"What did I say abut cumming, pet?"

Rainbow simply panted through her gag, drool dripping off the bottom onto the sheets.

"Guess I'll have to show you that there are dire consequences for disobeying your mistress." Applejack said sternly. Moments later, Rainbow felt something press against her marehood. Fresh from her climax, there was no resistance as AJ pressed the wired object into her. Judging by the shape she felt her sex clenching around, Rainbow concluded that AJ had just put an egg vibrator in her. With the control laying on the bed next to her left leg, AJ flicked it to low, which did little more than tease Rainbow, and make her want more.

Rainbow saw the tip of a hazel switch come into her gaze. She felt her flanks ache in anticipation. Switches cut through the air like nothing else, and the sound they made did not carry very far, no matter how hard they made contact. Lastly, their near-silence spoke nothing of the lingering sting they left. It wasn't as quite as effective as the leather strap she had used during their first session, but with the switch, Applejack could punish the gagged Rainbow as severely as she wanted, and the rest of the house would be none the wiser.

"Cut fresh just this evening, because I know how new you are to this, and I was sure you'd need some correcting. Twenty for cumming without permission, and keep presenting through all twenty."

Rainbow did as instructed. Positioning her bound front legs underneath her chest, she rose her flank in the air again, head resting on the bed. She flicked her tail up, so it was off to the side, brushing against her left cutie mark, out of Applejack's way.

As much as she tried to anticipate it, she was not mentally prepared for the sting of the first swat. She gave out a muffled yelp, and her back left leg dropped to a knee.

"Add five for breaking posture. Get back into position, now."

Rainbow immediately returned her leg to its standing posture, and was now more prepared for the pain as she endured hits two through six of the new total of 25, giving out little more than short cries that were effectively muffled by the ball gag.

Applejack understood the yelps; the switch left quite an impression. What surprised her were the brief moans of pleasure between each hit, vibrator or not. Rainbow's marehood was glistening with fresh arousal, and each new lash brought out another few drops down her thighs. AJ couldn't wait to be done with this and snuggle up next to her love for the night. But she needed to complete the punishment; a mistress mustn't appear soft. But on the tenth hit, Rainbow's right leg gave out ever so briefly before she corrected her posture again.

"Five more." Applejack stated moments before coming down for the eleventh blow, as twenty-five became thirty.

As she worked through the high teens, Rainbow's rear was beginning to bruise. When she hit twenty-five, the light red marks had joined to form splotches of dark red, contrasting frighteningly against Rainbow's cyan coat. On twenty-five, she faltered in the home stretch, and her moans were increasing right along with the yelps. Eying her swollen vagina, AJ knew that Rainbow was getting close again. As she broke into the low 30's, her lover's entire body was quivering. Sure enough, on the thirty-fifth and final blow, Rainbow squealed into her gag, as the walls of her marehood convulsed, and she actually managed to ejaculate, squirting her juice onto the sheets in front of AJ as she came a second time.

Without any assistance from Applejack in maintaining her high, Rainbow descended from her peak rather quickly. After switching the vibrator off, Applejack walked around to where she could see Rainbow's face, and the panting Pegasus' gaze immediately held firm to the sheets in front of her.

"You know you deserve another set of twenty for that. But you know you have a very loving and merciful mistress, isn't that right?"

Rainbow nodded, tears flowing from her eyes.

"You love your mistress so much that you even get off on her punishing you. I know you're still learning. You're not going to be perfect overnight. You nearly doubled your initial punishment because you couldn't hold still, yet you managed to keep presenting even as you came all over my bed. You seem to have learned the importance of holding your posture."

Rainbow sniffled from the tears, and shuddered in the aftermath of the orgasm.

"Besides, if I gave you what you deserve on top of those bruises, they probably wouldn't disappear by morning, and then everypony would know what a bad pet you are and how hard of a time you have with following instructions. Everypony makes mistakes, and overall, you have pleased your mistress. So now before bed, you're going to please me one more time."

With that, Applejack walked behind Rainbow, and climbed atop the presenting mare. Positioning her own slit against the base of Rainbow's tail, she began to grind herself against her backside.

Applejack was much quieter in her lovemaking than Rainbow was overall, gagged or not. She was already quite heated, and she knew that this wouldn't take long at all. Rainbow merely rode it out, as Applejack ground her marehood against Rainbow's tailbone. Only her breathing increased as she neared climax. Rainbow wondered how she remained so controlled. Sure enough, as eating Rainbow out then punishing her to a second climax had already pushed her close, it only took a minute of grinding against the Pegasus to send her over the edge. With a gasp, Applejack suddenly increased the pace and pressure of her thrusts, alternating between fast and slow to prolong her orgasm as long as she could. She felt Rainbow shudder underneath her as her climax seeped down around the base of her tail, rolling down her flanks. Then with one final thrust, she collapsed on top of Rainbow, wrapping her legs around her and pulling her down into a laying position.

"Very good, Rainbow. Very good. Sooner or later you have to tell me why you enjoy that so much."

AJ didn't get an answer, and the steady rising and falling of Rainbow's chest was a sign that her dreams had already taken her, as she steadily breathed through her nostrils. She was always a heavy sleeper, so she didn't wake up as Applejack gently unfastened the ball gag, and very slowly pulled the vibrator out. She decided to leave her front hooves tied up, so Rainbow could have an instant reminder of the fun they had the night before. Rainbow kept sleeping as she got a soft kiss on the cheek. But for AJ, her mind kept her up for several more minutes. Rainbow achieving a second climax just from being hit was certainly the biggest surprise of the night. She knew that she enjoyed being a dom, no doubt about it. Controlling a brash, egotistical pony like Rainbow, making her squirm...yes, she liked that very much. As she read it more about it, she believed she was getting better with every session she and Rainbow had.

But there was that hint of curiosity. She wanted to know what made Rainbow enjoy it. The book that Twilight lent her offered her little in the way of specific answers:

_Subs get their thrill in a variety of ways. Some like being controlled. Some like testing limits and rules; being disobedient and subsequently punished. Some enjoy just being nothing more than a bucktoy. No two subs are exactly the same. The more you know your sub, and the more time you spend with them in sessions, you will inevitably learn what makes them tick._

Tonight was their second session, and Applejack had gotten only one obvious answer: that Rainbow was enjoying it immensely.

Well, there was always the next session, or the next chapter of Twilight's book.


End file.
